The literature is replete with descriptions of printing systems and printing methods. In certain conventional printing systems and methods, data representing the printed material is assembled, generated and transmitted to a printing device. One disadvantage of these systems and methods is the storage capacity and bandwidth required to store and transmit such data.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a printing system and printing method requiring a relatively low storage capacity and bandwidth.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a printing system and method in which data representing the elements contained in the printed material is stored in a storage device and in which the printed material is defined in accordance with these elements.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a printing system that includes: a data storage device configured to store data representing a plurality of elements; a creation device configured to define at least one piece of printed material, the at least one piece of printed material including at least one of the plurality of elements; and a data processing device configured to read from the data storage device the data corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of elements in accordance with the at least one piece of printed material defined by the creation device and to generate data representing the at least one piece of printed material.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a printing method that includes the steps of: storing data representing a plurality of elements in a data storage device; defining at least one piece of printed material, the at least one piece of printed material including at least one of the plurality of elements; reading from the data storage device the data corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of elements in accordance with the at least one piece of printed material defined in the defining step; and generating data representing the at least one piece of printed material.